Power-generating apparatus.



Nu. 67l,723. Patented Apr. 9, l90l.

l. FISHER.

POWER GENERATING APPARATUS. (Application med Feb. 1, 1900.)

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NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ISRAEL FISHER, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO REVEL W. WATERS, TRUSTEE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

POWER-G EN ERATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,723, dated April 9, 1901.

Application filed February 1, 1900. Serial No. 3,583. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISRAEL FISHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medford, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Power-Generating Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the'drawings representing like parts.

Various types of power-generating apparatus have been brought before the public of recent years, particularly in connection with their adaptation to automobile vehicles, and the makers and designers of such apparatus have had for one of their main objects increased safety in handling by persons of little or no mechanical skill.

Steam and gas motors in particular, while having many favorable features, are open to serious objection, particularly as to their safety, and also because their control and care involve considerable mechanical aptitude.

I have devised novel and efficient powergenerating apparatus of very simple construction and free from any of the objections hereinbefore stated, my novel power-generating apparatus being particularly adapted for i use with automobile vehicles and operable with absolute safety by the most unskilled.

In practicing my invention I vaporize under pressure wood-alcohol, chloroform, gasolene, or other suitable and readily-vaporizable light hydrocarbon and use such vapor as the expansible motive medium for asuitable engine, the vaporizing apparatus comprising, essentially, a closed vessel for the liquid to be vaporized and a heater therefor made as an atmospheric-pressure boiler, the temperature of the water in such boiler in which the vaporizer proper is immersed being raised to a high degree by the combined action of directly-applied heat and thermochemical action. I have also herein provided means for condensing the vapor after it has been exhausted from the engine and for maintaining the feed of the condensate to the vaporizer.

Various details of my invention will be hereinafter described in the specification, and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure l is a partly-sectional view of a power-generating apparatus embodying one form of my invention, the parts being relatively disposed diagrammatically for the sake of clearness in illustration; and Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the vapor-generator with the top or cover removed.

I have herein shown the vapor-generator as comprising, essentially, an upright closed chamber or vaporizer proper, A, preferably provided with a series of longitudinal tubes or flues extending from one to the other end thereof to permit free circulation of a heating medium through the central portion of the vaporizer, as well as externally thereto, and an inclosing heat-generator B, shown as an atmospheric-pressure boilerthat is to say, a boiler open to the atmosphere, as by suitable openings 19 in its top or cover, so that under no circumstances can atmospheric pressure be exceeded in the heat-generator. Stays b rigidly secure the vaporizer in position in the heat-generator, the latter being preferably filled with water surrounding the chamber A and filling the tubes a thereof.

The generator or boiler B is provided with a combustion-chamber B to receive a suitable heating devioe, such as a vapor-burner B, Fig. 1, which is conveniently furnished with fuel, in the present instance of my invention by or through a pipe 1), leading to the burner from the upper portion of the vaporizer A.

The heating medium in the atmosphericpressure boiler or heat-generator B is raised in temperature by direct heat, as by the burner, to the steaming-point-viz., 212 Fahrenheitand it will be manifest that no matter how fierce the heat of the burner there can be no danger of an explosion even should the water fail entirely through carelessness.

Wood alcohol, gasolene, chloroform, or other suitable light and readily-vaporizable hydrocarbon is placed in the closed chamber A, and the heat imparted thereto by the boiling water in the heat-generator B will create about forty-pounds pressure in the vaporizer, a pressure rather too low for most motive purposes. By thermochemical action, however, I can greatly increase the heatingaction of the generator upon the vaporizer with consequent rise in pressure in the latter Without in the slightest degree reducing the safety or simplicity of the apparatus.

It is well known that high temperature is 'attained by the thermochemical action of chlorid of zinc or chlorid of calcium, and I add to the water in the heat-generator 8 either or both of the chemicals referred to, so that the temperature generated by the apparatus is very much greater than that due to the directly-applied heat, so great, in fact, that I can readily obtain a pressure in the vaporizer of from sixty to one hundred pounds per square inch or over. Both of the chemicals referred to are readily procurable and cheap and are not rapidly wasted, the necessary renewal from time to time in the boiler being of small moment. The vapor under pressure is taken from the vaporizing-chamber A by a pipe at to a suitable engine (represented at E) and performs the work by its expansive action-as, for instance, by operating a vehicle, taking the place of steam as the expansible motive medium. I prefer to take the exhaustvapor from the outlet e of the engine to the inlet 0 of any suitable form of condenser, Fig. 1, whence the condensed hydrocarbon is drawn by a pump P and forced into a feed tank or reservoir D. From the latter a pipe 01, preferably having a suitable check-valve at d, conveys the liquid contents of the reservoir to an inlet a leading into the vaporizer A, such inlet having a valve therein controlled by a float F, Fig. 1, which operates to shut off the feed or supply when the liquid contents of the vaporizer reaches a predetermined level. If the pump is substantially continuous in its operation, as it probably would be under ordinary circumstances, undue pressure would be created in the reservoir after closure of the float-valve or aft-er the pressure in the vaporizer equals or becomes greater than the pressure in the feedreservoir, and I have provided simple means for preventing any undue increase of pressure in the reservoir. 7

Referring to Fig. 1, a pipe (1 is shown as ex tended down into the reservoir from a chamber D above it, provided with a flexible diaphragm d to which is secured the stem of a valve d having its seat in the upper end of the pipe 01 a spring 3 assisting the diaphragm in seating the valve. \Vhen the pressureof the liquid pumped into the reservoir exceeds that exerted upon the valve by the diaphragm said valve will be raised and some of the liquid will pass into the chamber D, from which it is drawn by a pipe 01 back to the condenser G, from which it passes to the pump-suction 10, so that a species of by-pass is provided to relieve the pressure in the reservoir. When, however, the level of the liquid in the vaporizer A falls sufficiently to open the inletvalve, or as soon as the pressure in the vaporizer falls sufficiently, feed from the reservoir will be resumed, and the consequent remp2s dnction of pressure therein will permit the diaphragm to seat the valve, so that the bypass will be thrown out of action.

I have shown a very simple, yet convenient and efficient, means for controlling the feed of the condensed hydrocarbon to the vaporizer; but any other suitable form of feed-controllin g means may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

By condensing the vapor after it is exhausted from the engine there is very little loss over and above that due to the use of a vaporburner, as herein illustrated.

Byntilizing directly-applied heat and heat resulting from chemical reaction in the heatgenerator for vaporizing the hydrocarbon in the vaporizer A, I absolutely eliminate any 4 danger from explosion either in the heat-generator or vaporizer, for it will be manifest that the temperature of the Water in the atmospheric-pressure boiler or heat-generator B can never rise. above a certain point, and it consequently follows that the pressure in the vaporizer can never rise above that corresponding to such temperature in the genorator.

In using apparatus of this character in a motor-vehicle it will be seen that should the heating action of the heat generator be, through carelessness or otherwise, permitted to continue indefinitely no harm could result, because neither temperature in the generator nor pressure in the vaporizer can rise above a certain predetermined point.

I have herein shown one practical embodiment of my invention without attempting to illustrate various changes or modifications which might be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In apparatus of the class described, an engine, a closed vaporizer connected therewith, means to heat and vaporizethe contents thereof, a feed-reservoir, a condenser connected with the engine-exhaust, a pump to convey the condensate to the reservoir, and means to automatically relieve the pressure in said reservoir when feed therefrom to the vaporizer is stopped.

2. In apparatus of the class described, an engine, a closed vaporizer connected therewith, means to heat and vaporize the contents thereof, a feed-reservoir, a condenser connected with the engine-exhaust, a pump to convey the condensate to the reservoir, a bypass between the reservoir and condenser, and means to open the by-pass when feed from the reservoir to the vaporizer is interrupted.

3. In power-generating apparatus, an outer,

atmospheric-pressure boiler to contain water internally heated by thermochemical action, a combustion-chamber and burner for the boiler, to heat its contents by direct heat; a

closed vaporizer within the boiler, to contain a readily-vaporizable liquid, and means to supply the vaporizer with liquid to be vaporized.

4. In power-generating apparatus, an atmospheric-pressure boiler, to contain water to be heated by direct heat and thermochemical action, a contained, closed vaporizer, a feed-inlet for the vaporizer, and means to stop automatically the feed when-the liquid in the [o vaporizer attains a predetermined level.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISRAEL FISHER.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. EDWARDS, AUGUSTA E. DEAN. 

